Process of manufacturing plates for artificial dentures



M I, mm, Lwfifiw M. II. VAWYAN PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING PLATES FOR ARTIFICIAL DENTURES Filed Sept. 23. 1921 m in lltl

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reiterence niarlred thereon which torni of this specification This invention relates to the manufacture of artificial dentures and particularly to those composed of metal,

Artificial. dentures are more generally made oil either pgold or vulcanite, the latter losing the more coinrnonl tirold plates or dentures are made either hy is lrnown as the snagging rnethod or loy castinpgphoth o't "which hare their disadvantages. ltn rnalring a denturr hy the snagging; rnethod a sheet rgold oil the proper thiclrn is thorouprhly annealed, and trorn an impression talren trons. the mouth a reverse east llltlttltt and hetrveen the two dies thus termed the sold sheet :at'ter annealing; is hammered to cause it to assures the irregularities or the dies. The dies hoWet er soon hecoine hat-tered and new are then made and the annealing the undid and the harnrnerinyg is repeated 1 w re untiltrhat is consic eied a proud sl MB is produced. tionue times as rnany as three and tour sets ct dies are used. in the raalrinp; ot a plate. the result an impenltectly plate. its attachments for hotdinp the 'rulcanite must he soldered on to gold a high temperature it is therehy so sealed that it is liahle to out o'lt shapin use or handling. ll' or these reasons the castinp; process present the most ular ot' the two lln malrin r plates or siderahle sen '5 he ohtnrned. t tapes ot' hots the srrrurin i es are th plate the rnoutln and seesawdl t nely super] l u d it the as on account ed this i the i o proc-- hadly 2 they are i tliereliore rarely heconae hardened. reprints plates reader hy the vulcanised ruhloer process are custone arily used tor temporary sets.

in rushing a plate by the 'vulcanisingr process, the vulcanizine; oi the yulcanite causes it to shrinlr approximately 11.0% and therefore a plateinade by this process which "would otherwise have been correct is di torted to the extent of such shrinkage, tit the tissues are soft they will in many cases adapt themselves to this distorted impression ot the rnouth but it they are hard tissues vhich Will not yield, irritation takes place and it is necessary to grind and cut andtit the plate until rnade hearahle to the wearer. Another objection to the yulcanite plate is that it is a very poor conductor ot heat and prevents the proper radiation ot heat from the mucous rneinlorane over which it is placed, thereby leadin to excessive reins; ot the vitality sit the sott tissues in consequence oil which they are more subject to irritation.

The chject ot my invention is to make an artificial rectal denture which is a perfect tit ot the portion oi the mouth to which it is to he apphed and which contains a small percentage ot' precious metal. as compared with gold or other precious metal dentures as now made, and which also attords a ready conductor for heat, thereby producing a more ethcient and cheaper artificial denture than, to my knowledge, has heretotore heen produced and also producing; a healthy condition of the gums tissues of the mouth when such dentures are Worn.

Uther objects and advantages oi the invention will he apparent from the tollowinp detailed description.

"lll hile the invention is capahle o't heinp" practiced in different ways., a preterred method ol practicing the same is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in Which Figure l is a View of en impression termed hy the step. tl. is a View ct cast loruied hy the second step li ies it is an illustration oit step tor electrically depositing" u plate of metal on aportion oi the tis a NEW ot the electroplate the anchoring; attachments there on for the guru termin vulcanite, and 5 illustrates the electro-plsting hy which sold or sliver may he deposited on the plate.

lln practicing method oil producing till.

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litlili litttl artificial dentures, a negative impression, such as shown in Fig. l, of wax or other suitable material is first taken of the mouth and from this is preferabl. made a plastic cast or negative such as s own in ldlg. 2. A. plate blank of suitable base metal, for instance copper, is then deposited electrically on they cast by the art known as electrotyping or galvanoplasty the cast hav ing been first stopped oil with varnish or other suitable material to limit the surface pf the cast onwhich the electrical deposit is to be made. The cast is left in the electrotyping bath until a plate of desired thickness has been formed, after which the plate is removed from the cast and the side thereof which is opposed to the cast is then dressed to render it smooth, while the side thereof next to the cast is left as formed, it being perfectly smooth and requiring no dressing or polishing. In dressing the cast, however, it is preferable to leave rough the portion thereof which is to be covered by the vulcanite intended to represent the gums and to carry the teeth, as this rough condition is an advantage in securely anchoring the vulcanite to the plate. Only that portion of the plate which the tongue and food touches is dressed and polished to present a perfectly smooth surface.

' After the dressing operation, devices called attachments are soldered at spaced points to the plate, the soldering being only sufficient to temporarily hold the attachments in position. The attachment which usually comprises a wire bent in various shapes serves as an anchoring means for the vulcanite, which is later secured to the plate to represent the gum. The plate is then returned to the electrotypine bath after having first been stepped oil with varnish or other suitable material on that portion thereof which comes in contact with the gums and roof of the mouth, so that the electrical deposit will take lace only on the portion of the plate to which the attachment is secured. The plate is left in the bath until suficient copper or other metal has been deposited thereon to cover all the soldered spots and also to imbed the wire attachments and make them a part of the plate. The plate is then polished to render smooth that portion thereof coming in contact with the tongue.

The next step preferably consists of depositing a moderate thickness of silver on the plate blank by silver platin and then subjecting the plate to a gold plating step. The gold coating is only of sufficient thickness to provide a thin coating thereon, as the portion thereof to which the vulcanite is to be secured and the surface incontact with the roof of the mouth requires only a thin coat. These portions are then stopped 0E and that portion of the plate eas es which is subjected to wear is given. an ex tra heavy coating of gold. This having been done the plate is ready for the dentist to attach the gums and teeth in, any suitable way. The silver plating of the plate is done merely as precautionary measure so that if the gold coating wears oil in use the White coating of silver will show and indicate that the plate should be again. coated with gold. While it is preferable to deposit the gold on a silver coating, the gold or other suitable metal forming the exterior coating of the plate may be deposited directly on the copper or other metal comprising the blank and formed by the electrotyping step.

The advantages of my method of making artificial dentures, among others, are first, the production of a plate which perfectly fits the mouth provided the impression taken of the mouth is correct; second, the use of a very small percentage of precious metal as compared with gold dentures as now made, a first-class plate made by my method requiring about {1,- of the gold used in making a gold'plate by the methods heretofore employed; third, the gold is deposited exactly where it is needed and in sufficient quantity to resist wear; fourth, the plate on account of its thinness conducts heat readily and therefore produces a healthy condition of the gums and tissues of the mouth; fifth, the ease with which the gold may be replaced by replating when wear occurs; and sixth, a plate produced by method while strong and rigid, is of considerably less weight than a gold plate, thereby lending to the ease and comfort of the wearer of the same.

It is evident that the plate formed by the electrotyping process may be of any thickness desired depending on the weight or strength of the denture desired, and that the coatings of silver and gold may also be of. a thickness desired depending largely on the expense which the'patient wishes to put in the plate.

While I have particularly described the making of the electrotyping blank from a positive cast or reproduction of the mouth, 1t might be made from the negative impression or reproduction but this would not be desirable, for with the latter the rough or outer side of the blank deposit would constitute the side thereof intended to have contact with the roof of the mouth and it would therefore be necessary to grind and polish and shape this side to conform to the mouth so that the plate is firmly held to position when placed in the mouth. from the blank plate is made on a. positive reproduction of the mouth, the side of the blank which is to fit against the roof of the mouth is perfectly formed to conform to the shape and irregularities of the roof so that If the deposit ill-3 lltl no subsequent shaping of that side of the blank is required.

l have particularly described my method with reference to depositing copper or other cheaper metal on the reproduction of the mouth and then plating the blank with gold, as this is the preferable method of practicing the invention. lit is not desired, however, to restrict the protection afforded hereby to this particular method as it is known that gold may be directly deposited on the reproduction of the mouth by the electrotyping or galvanoplasty method and the vulcanite anchoring attachments secured to the gold blank, after which the blank may again be placed in the bath to coat the attachments and unite them closely with the blank, I

ll wish it understood that my invention is not limited to any specific means or method of practicing the same, except in so far as it is limited by the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,-

l. The process of manufacturing plates for artificial dentures, which consists in taking a reproduction of the mouth, electri cally depositing a base metal on the reproduction to form a plate blank, attaching a vulcanite anchoring means to the blank, and plating the blank with a metal which is non corrosive and not objectionable to the mouth.

2, The process of manufacturing plates for artificial dentures. which consists in taking a reproduction of the mouth, forming a metal plate blank on the reproduction by the art of galvanoplasty, tacking a vulcanite anchoring attachment to the blank, then again subjecting the blank to the electroplating process to securely unite the attachment to the blank and then plating the blank with a metal which is noncorrosive and not objectionable to the mouth.

3. The process of manufacturing plates for artificial dentures, which consists in taking a correct impression of the mouth, forming a cast from the impression, electrically depositing copper on the cast to form a blank oi the plate thereon, soldering vulcanite anchoring means to the blank, then again subjecting the blank to an electrical deposit of metal to closely unite the blank and anchoring means. then coating the blank with a metal which is noncorrosive and not objectionable to the mouth.

d. The process of manufacturing plates for artificial dentures, which consists in taking a correct impression of the mouth, forming a cast from the impression, electrically depositing copper on the cast to form a blank of the plate thereon, soldering vulcanite anchoring means to the blank, then again subjecting the blank to an electrical deposit of metal to closely unite the blank and anchoring means, and then successively coating the blank with a suitable metal of a color other than gold and with gold.

5. The process of manufacturing plates for artificial dentures, which consists in taking a reproduction of a portion of the mouth, electrically depositing a metal on the reproduction to form a blank, attaching a vulcanite anchoring means to the blank, then again subjecting the blank to an electrical deposit of metal to closely unite the blank and anchoring means having first dressed the portion of. the blank to smooth a part at least of the surface thereof on which the deposit takes place.

In testimony whereof, T have hereunto signed my name to this specification.

HOMER T. YARYAN. 

